Messiah University Honors Program

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Messiah University Honors Program

The Honors Program exemplifies Messiah University's commitment to academic excellence and to fostering an intellectually rigorous Christian world view.

10/14/2026

Messiah alumnus Victor Sensenig (’02) recently joined us to explore some of the themes in our Book of the Year, Dante's Inferno. Though Dante lived in a very different time and place, his poem teaches us about the world, our place in it, and what it means to be guided by another. Dr. Sensenig observed: “Dante’s Comedia is a total picture of reality, and that reality requires a guide from the outside.” Dante's journey with Virgil shows the value of choosing guides who are unlike us in some ways, since they can help illuminate our worldviews and decisions. Dr. Sensenig encouraged us to consider inviting Dante to serve as one of our personal guides, as he challenges many of our contemporary assumptions.

10/12/2026

What does food have to do with justice? The is a big question that touches on every stage of the food system—from plant cultivation and animal husbandry to distribution and consumption.

Join us for “3 Views on Food Justice” featuring Michael Dolislager (Economics), David Foster (Biology), and Amy Porto (Nutrition and Dietetics), on Wednesday, October 14, at 4:30 PM in Kline 120.

The Honors Program invites all campus and community members to attend.

10/06/2026

Why does Dante choose as his guide a figure who cannot share his ultimate destination? In the Inferno, the poet Virgil represents a world fundamentally different from Dante’s own: pagan rather than Christian, Roman rather than medieval, and limited by human reason rather than illumined by divine revelation. Yet it is precisely this distance that makes Virgil indispensable.

This lecture explores Dante’s complex portrayal of Virgil and argues that the Divine Comedy presents guidance as an encounter with perspectives beyond one’s inherited assumptions. By examining the relationship between guide and pilgrim, Victor will consider how Dante uses the wisdom of a distant past to illuminate enduring questions about education, intellectual formation, moral judgment, and the search for meaning.

Sponsored by the Honors Program. This event is open to the campus community and public.

10/03/2026

It was a joy to see several Harbor House alumnae again! Messiah University Homecoming 2026.

10/02/2026

On Tuesday, our students had the privilege of hearing Dr. Joshua Robertson's lecture on the importance of education, justice, and evangelism. Born and raised in Allison Hill, Harrisburg, Dr. Robertson discussed his challenging personal experience with the education system that led to his current advocacy for education reform. Our students had the opportunity to discuss how education justice can be viewed through Jesus' commandment to make disciples of all nations and the church can be a means to promote equal education for all students.

10/01/2026

A little rain wasn't stopping this Honors adventure!

51 students headed to Washington, D.C. for a full day of exploration, discovery, and unforgettable experiences. Despite a Nor'easter bringing some rain, they embraced every moment and made memories across the nation's capital.

09/29/2026

Recently, all 152 of our first-year honors students gathered in small seminars to discuss Cantos 3-10 of Dante's Inferno, our book of the year for 2026-27. Seminar week is one of our busiest weeks, and one of our most rewarding.

How remarkable it is that Dante the poet can speak so powerfully and sensitively to readers across such distances of time and space! At the gates of hell, the pilgrim Dante tells his guide Virgil that the inscription's meaning is duro, or hard (Inferno 3.12). And so it was for our students. Sometimes the hardest things are those most worth doing.

09/28/2026

Born and raised in Harrisburg's Allison Hill neighborhood, Pastor Joshua Robertson has witnessed firsthand the challenges Harrisburg's children face in thriving personally, spiritually and educationally. In 2021, this led him to establish the Rock City Learning Center and Black Pastors United for Education, organizations noted in his commitment to expanding educational freedom for all schoolchildren.

All are invited to hear Pastor Robertson speak on "Education, Freedom, and Justice as a Means to Evangelize and Disciple the Next Generation," on Tuesday, September 29th, at 4:30 PM in Boyer 131. Sponsored by the University Honors Program.

09/22/2026

The Constitution is the supreme law of the land, determining what government bodies are permitted to do. It is a vitally important civic document, but its application is not always self-evident. How should it be interpreted--As the Framers understood it? As a means of building a more just society? As a tool for addressing contemporary social problems? Or in some other way? Three speakers with differing views on constitutional interpretation will share their perspectives and take questions following their presentation.

Join us on Thursday, September 24 at 4:30 PM in Boyer 131 to hear "3 Views on the Constitution."

Sponsored by the Honors Program and the Department of History, Politics, and International Relations, this event is open to the campus community and the public.

09/09/2026

Monday night kicked off in the best way! Professor LaGrand delivered the opening Director’s Address to our first-year honors students, setting the tone for an exciting year ahead. The evening continued with a warm (and sweet!) ice cream sundae reception graciously hosted by Harbor House. From meaningful conversations to lots of laughter, it was the perfect start to the academic year!

Address

1 University Avenue, Ste 3044
Mechanicsburg, PA
17055

Website

http://www.messiah.edu/honorsprogram

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